BEIJING (AP) — A study program at an elite Chinese university that was inspired by the Rhodes Scholarship is entering its second year with an endowment of more than $500 million and a considerable rise in applications.
Schwarzman Scholars is a one-year master’s degree program at Tsinghua University that was initiated by Stephen A. Schwarzman, a co-founder of the private equity Blackstone Group. It offers classroom teaching, travel, cultural immersion and practical work experience with Chinese firms and non-profits.
Schwarzman told The Associated Press the program facilitates mutual understanding and “getting a feeling for what the issues are and how they might be handled.” He said the first session proved “enormously successful” and participation grew from 107 to 127 in the current session starting Friday. More are expected for the third year.
